Path: utzoo!utgpu!alliant.com!UUCP Reply-To: british-cars@alliant.com Errors-To: british-cars-request@alliant.com Sender: british-cars-request@alliant.com Return-Path: Date: Fri, 23 Feb 90 12:06:00 EST From: richard welty Subject: Re: engine swaps To: british-cars@alliant.alliant.com References: <9002231004.AA29619@bevsun.bev.lbl.gov> Supersedes: <19900223163526.6.WELTY@lewis.crd.ge.com> Comments: Retransmission of failed mail. Message-ID: <19900223170639.7.WELTY@lewis.crd.ge.com> Newsgroups: list.british-cars Distribution: ut Approved: devnull@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu They [Offy Midgets] are definitly not british, but they can turn right if provoked. One keeps winning the vintage races at Lime Rock, seems like every year. then Aran Guy said: I've seen the ESPN shows which has this car racing in it. (Speedweek?) This car is a midget which has been modified back into what is almost a normal racing car, i.e. equal sized racing tires, differential, properly set up front end. I believe this started out as a joke entry sometime back in the fifties in the Formula Libre class (Anything Goes...) and actually placed fairly well in the hands of the very competent driver. i saw this car in the Formula Libre recreation that was run at the BMW vintage races last fall at LRP; apparently the 1959 Formula Libre race in question was one of the first appearances of this particular midget. evidently, the driver decided that an Offy Midget could be modified to run well at LRP, and got a sponsor to support him. the 1959 race included, among other things, Stirling Moss driving a Maserati (well, the driver was British, anyway), a Jaguar D-type (at least that's a British car), Denise McCluggage driving a Porshe RSK, and the original (prototye) Corvette Stingray. they got all of these cars, or cars nearly identical to them, to show up for the recreation. it was all pretty neat. they also got Moss and McCluggage to show up and drive. most of the british interest at these races, though, is in the form of mini-Coopers and various and sundry Lotus vehicles (sevens, elevens, etc.) racing on the track, and the amazing collections of british car stuff for sale in the swap meet area. richard